Jury finds Yates fit for trialHOUSTON A jury of 11 women and one man decided yesterday that a mother who is accused of drowning her five children was competent to stand trial on capital murder charges.Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Andrea Yates, Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal has said.Mrs. Yates, 37, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to two counts of capital murder in the deaths of three of her children. Her family says she suffered from severe depression after the births of her children.However, the jury decided after deliberating for more than eight hours over two days that Mrs. Yates sufficiently understands the charges against her and has the ability to consult with her attorneys.

Dole joins race for Helms' seatRALEIGH, N.C. Elizabeth Dole officially has joined the race to fill the seat that Sen. Jesse Helms will vacate, her spokesman said yesterday.Mrs. Dole had planned to announce her bid for the Republican nomination in her hometown of Salisbury on Sept. 11, but put it off because of the terrorist attacks."She's officially in," Dole spokesman Jay Warshaw said yesterday. "Mrs. Dole has filed the necessary paperwork required for her campaign to move forward."

Clinton sought to kill bin LadenNEW YORK Former President Bill Clinton said yesterday his administration authorized the arrest and, if necessary, the killing of Islamic militant Osama bin Laden but lacked sufficient information to carry it out.Government sources have said the Clinton administration in 1998 gave the CIA approval to conduct covert operations targeting bin Laden, who Washington believes masterminded the bombings that year of two U.S. embassies in East Africa.Bin Laden also is believed to be behind the Sept. 11 attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Virginia that left more than 6,800 dead or missing.

Survey: many cities unprepared for terrorismIn a spot check of America's cities, at least 150 localities have no plans to prevent or deal with terrorist attacks, especially smaller and medium-sized towns.The National League of Cities faxed short questionnaires about local plans for dealing with terrorism to 1,800 cities and towns after four hijacked airliners crashed on Sept. 11.About one-third of the 456 communities that responded in the following week said they have no plans in place for averting or reacting to terrorist attacks. About one in eight is still developing plans. Just over half said their terrorism response blueprints are in place.

16 charged in Ecstasy ringDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Sixteen persons were charged as part of a drug ring believed to have sold thousands of Ecstasy pills and cocaine at nightclubs during the past year.Authorities said Friday that Mohammed Yusuf, 22, headed the ring, distributing 40,000 Ecstasy pills to six Daytona Beach clubs. Investigators believe Mr. Yusuf also may have sold pills in Orlando, Jacksonville and Melbourne.

Thousands mourn Sikh killed by gunmanPHOENIX Nearly 3,000 people gathered yesterday to remember Balbir Singh Sodhi, an Indian immigrant killed in what police say was a hate crime that followed the terrorist attacks.They were Sikh, Jew, Christian, Muslim and more, some with veils or turbans, others in suits and ties. Many never knew Mr. Sodhi, but they offered prayers, songs, tears and sympathy anyway."My father had a lot of friends, but no enemies. The word hatred was not in his vocabulary at all, but he ended up falling from the bullet of hate," said Mr. Sodhi's son, Sukhwinder Singh. "My family doesn't want any innocent people hurt."Mr. Sodhi, who like many male Sikhs had long hair and wore a turban, was killed during a Sept. 15 shooting spree that authorities said targeted the victims because of their race.